Bonding versus branding

I have been reading a lot in recent months and one thing that particularly screams out in marketing books is the aspect of emotions in brand affinity. How does a customer fall in 'love' with a brand? This has got a lot to do with the ESP of a brand, the emotional connection that it promises to its customer as the engagement begins.

I agree with this because being known doesn't necessarily mean being loved. Look at United Airlines compared to Virgin Atlantic - you instantly feel a connection to the charisma of Virgin as a brand but no real emotion arises when you mention United. Today, brands need to dig deep for a connection, a simple truth that they can own and nurture as they build their brands - this truth should be an authentic, believable promise that allows customers to connect with the brand.

A similar debate swims through my mind when it comes to the media mix used by brands to promote their products. Typically, one brand uses outdoor and suddenly the rest of them join the band wagon - why? Does ubiquity really make your brand's presence felt in the market place? Would you rather not be in a place where you can emotionally wrap the customer's attention? I think a brand which potentially identifies these unique media will hold the customer captive - it could be a small sign at a school of special needs saying you recently supported them by donating toys - that's makes me feel warm.

Why change?

Inspiration can come from anywhere & yes, anyone can be creative. I believe that all agencies should reinvent themselves every now and then, similar to how we're undertaking this mammoth task of practicing what we preach to others. Any organisation that doesn't realise that change is perpetual and as much as our endeavors to hold onto our 'roots' and 'culture' - change should be an integral part of the agenda.

Should you change your positioning? Maybe, maybe not, but instead of re-inventing, i think its important to re-interpret your positioning as time progresses - this is critical to be able to maintain relevance without diluting it. A tough task, but a necessary one.

Why not ask yourself what your positioning statement truly means - in my opinion a strong positioning makes you question yourself, not necessarily be smug with an easy answer. Those are the pillars on which giants stand.